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Vol. 36, No. 10 - October 2009
Office of Research Development and Administration
Editor: Joel Fritzler
CONTENTS
—excerpted from NIH News, Sept. 4, 2009 (www.nih.gov/news/health/sep2009/od-04.htm)
Comprehensive funding information for National Institutes of Health grants and contracts is now available on the NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tool (RePORT) thanks to a new, user-friendly system called the RePORT Expenditures and Results, or RePORTER. RePORTER combines NIH project databases and funding records, PubMed abstracts, full-text articles from PubMed Central, and information from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office with a search engine, allowing users to locate descriptions and funding details on NIH-funded projects along with research results that cite the NIH support.
User-defined searches allow the public to refine, export, and analyze results and provide insights into NIH spending, as well as research results across NIH-funded projects, institutions, investigators, or scientific concepts. Searching for grants funded by the Recovery Act is made easy by a checkbox that limits searches to that area of interest.
RePORTER is the newest tool on the RePORT website, NIH's comprehensive online repository of reports, data, and analyses of research-related funding. RePORT provides data on NIH's research-related grant and contract funding, including general reports and statistics, funding by research, condition, and disease categories, new data visualization tools, and more. Dynamic reports and geographic mapping tools offer access to information on NIH's Recovery Act grant funding on an individual project, state, or national level.
RePORTER replaces NIH's now-retired CRISP system. RePORT is available at RePORT.nih.gov. The project search tool, RePORTER, is available through the RePORT site or by going directly to ProjectRePORTER.nih.gov.
—excerpted from Nature, Aug. 20, 2009 (www.nature.com/news/2009/090819/full/460939a.html)
On his first day in the job, the new director of the National Institutes of Health laid out a five-point road map for the agency—which includes focusing greater attention on translational research, neglected diseases, and health-care reform. But Francis Collins's top priority will be tackling budget constraints after the $10.4-billion boost from the economic stimulus package runs out in 2010. Collins has raised red flags about losing a generation of young scientists if the NIH budget drops or flatlines. The budget for FY2010 has not yet been finalized, but the administration of President Obama has requested a 1.4% increase over the FY09 budget of $30.6 billion.
Collins, who headed the National Human Genome Research Institute from 1993 to 2008, made the case that investment in biomedical research creates jobs and offers quick economic returns. Looking ahead, he said that the agency should devote more money to "five areas of special opportunity." First, to applying high-throughput technologies in genomics and nanotechnology to discover the genetic bases of diseases including cancer, autism, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. Second, to developing diagnostics, preventative strategies, and therapeutic tools through more public–private partnerships. Third, to reining in the costs of health care with comparative-effectiveness research and personalized medicine. Fourth, to expanding research into diseases affecting the developing world. Finally, to increasing budgets and investing in training and peer review to achieve a predictable funding trajectory for the research community.
Collins stressed that he plans to devote all his energy to his new position, although he will maintain an active research lab. His latest book (on personalized medicine) is slated for a January 2010 release.
—from The Chronicle of Higher Education, Sept. 14, 2009
MMM … CHEAP BEER: When drinks are cheap, patrons tend to consume more of them, according to a survey of 804 patrons exiting seven bars adjacent to a large university in the Southeast. But as prices rise, patrons still drink—just not as much. Researchers at San Diego State University's Center for Alcohol and Drug Studies will publish their findings in the November issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
WHAT DID I DO WITH THAT CHEAP BEER? No matter how much the drinks cost, consuming too many of them causes one's mind to wander, researchers have concluded. Further, say psychology professors at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of California at Santa Barbara, alcohol makes it less likely that the drinker will even notice that his or her mind has wandered. Participants in the study—half of whom had consumed alcohol and the other half a placebo—were instructed to signal if they zoned out while reading War and Peace, by Tolstoy. The paper, "Lost in the Sauce: The Effects of Alcohol on Mind Wandering," appeared in Psychological Science.
AROUSING RESEARCH: Scientists using magnetic-resonance imaging to stimulate the brains of "early risers" and "night owls" in a study at the University of Alberta found that morning people were most excitable at 9 a.m.—the exact opposite of evening people, whose brains were most excitable at 9 p.m.
THE TRUTH ABOUT CATS…Cats are able to control their humans by emitting a high-pitched "solicitation" cry—embedded in a purr—that is so annoying it can't be ignored, a team of psychologists at the University of Sussex found. But not all cats use the solicitation purr, said the study's lead author, Karen McComb, who is often awakened by her own cat, Pepo. "It seems to most often develop in cats that have a one-on-one with their owners rather than in large households where there is a lot going on and such purring might get overlooked," she said. "Meowing seems to be more common in these situations." The solicitation and regular purrs can be heard online at www.lifesci.sussex.ac.uk/cmvcr/Domestic%20cats.html.
…AND DOGS: A dog's bark, on the other hand, is an all-purpose auditory signal, according to a paper in the journal Behavioural Processes. "The domestic dog does not have an intentional message in mind, such as, 'I want to play' or 'The house is on fire,'" said the lead author, Kathryn Lord, a doctoral candidate in organismic and evolutionary biology at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Not all dog noises, however, are barks, she said, and those other noises might have other meanings.
…AND THEIR OWNERS: Fat British children are alarmingly clever, seemed to be the lesson of a study carried out this summer by the Mile End Centre for Sports and Exercise Medicine, in East London. Kids who are 11 or 12 years old should take a minimum number of steps each day to remain fit—about12,000 a day for girls and 15,000 a day for boys—so researchers equipped a group of obese children with pedometers to calculate their apparent shortfall. "After a week we found there were some kids who were extremely active but still obese," said Nicola Maffulli, a professor of trauma and orthopedic surgery at the Keele University School of Medicine. What Dr. Maffulli and his colleagues eventually learned was that some of the children were attaching the pedometers to their dogs' collars and letting them run. After the dogs were given a rest, the researchers confirmed their suspicions: The girls were averaging only 10,150 steps a day, and the boys 12,620.
'DAMNED KIDS': We don't know if Dr. Maffulli swore upon learning that he had been tricked, but if he had he might have felt better. Sixty-four undergraduates at Keele University were told to plunge a hand into a bucket of ice water for as long as they could stand it. While doing so they could utter either their favorite swear word or a neutral term. Researchers reported in the journal NeuroReport that when the students swore, they were able to keep their hands submerged for longer periods than when they kept it G-rated.
For more information about these programs, contact Joel Fritzler, ORDA Information Specialist, at 453-4530 or jcfritz@siu.edu.
The National Institutes of Health will fund Research Project Grant (R01) applications from institutions/organizations proposing exceptionally innovative research on novel hypotheses or difficult problems, solutions to which would have an extremely high impact on biomedical or biobehavioral research that is germane to the mission of one or more of the participating NIH Institutes. This funding opportunity is for support of new projects, not continuation of projects that have already been initiated. It does not support pilot projects, i.e., projects of limited scope that are designed primarily to generate data that will enable the PI to seek other funding.
It is estimated that up to 66 awards will be made from an anticipated amount of $18 million. NIGMS ($6 million, 18-22 awards), NCI ($3 million, 9-11 awards), NIA ($1 million, 2-3 awards), NIAAA ($600,000, 2 awards), NIDCR ($800,000, 2-3 awards), NIDA ($1 million, 3-4 awards), NIMH ($3 million, 8-12 awards), NINDS ($2 million, 6 awards), and NLM ($985,000, 3 awards) are participating in this initiative.
For additional information about this program, see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-GM-10-009.html. For a list of program contacts, see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-GM-10-009.html#SectionVII.
DEADLINE: Nov. 24
This National Science Foundation program is a continuation of the Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP) that began in FY 1998 as part of the National Plant Genome Initiative (NPGI). A new five-year plan for the NPGI was published in January 2009. The goal of the NPGI is to develop a basic knowledge of the structures and functions of plant genomes and translate this knowledge to a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of economically important plants and plant processes of potential economic value. By bridging basic research and plant performance in the field, the NPGI will accelerate basic discovery and innovation in economically important plants and enable enhanced management of agriculture, natural resources, and the environment to meet societal needs.
Four kinds of activity will be supported in FY10: (1) Genome-Enabled Plant Research (GEPR) awards to tackle major unanswered questions in plant biology on a genome-wide scale; (2) Transferring Research from Model Systems (TRMS) awards to apply basic biological findings made using model systems to studying the basic biology of plants of economic importance; (3) Tools and Resources for Plant Genome Research (TRPGR) awards to support development of novel technologies and analysis tools to enable discovery in plant genomics; and (4) Comparative Plant Genome Sequencing (CPGS) awards to support development of sequence resources to enable research in economically important crop plants and plant processes of potential economic value. Proposals addressing these opportunities are welcomed at all scales, from single-investigator projects through multi-investigator, multi-institution projects, commensurate with the scope of the work proposed.
An investigator may only submit one proposal as a principal investigator or a co-principal investigator in response to this program solicitation. It is estimated that 15 to 20 awards will be made from an anticipated funding amount of $20 million. For additional information about this program, see www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09611/nsf09611.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25 or contact Diane Jofuku Okamuro (703-292-4400, dbipgr@nsf.gov) or Agnes Chan (703-292-4400, ordbipgr@nsf.gov).
DEADLINE: January 26
This is the Royal Geographical Society's first endowed award to support innovation in teaching and learning in both higher and secondary education. The aim of the award is to encourage and facilitate others to research, introduce, and disseminate successful innovations for the benefit of students of geography at the higher education/college level and/or at the secondary school level. Applications can be made for projects to research, develop, and/or pilot innovations in teaching and learning in any field of geography in higher or secondary education.
Applicants must be currently employed in the higher education (college) sector and/or secondary school level, either in the U.K. or the U.S., and be actively teaching students. Applicants must be UK or U.S. nationals. For additional information about this program, see www.rgs.org/OurWork/Grants/Teaching/Ray+Y+Gildea+Jr+Award.htm or contact the RGS (grants@rgs.org).
DEADLINE: Dec. 31
The major goal of this program is to assist in the development of the careers of junior investigators committed to pursuing careers in the field of aging research. AFAR supports research projects concerned with understanding the basic mechanisms of aging. Projects investigating age-related diseases are also supported, especially if approached from the point of view of how basic aging processes may lead to these outcomes. Projects concerning mechanisms underlying common geriatric functional disorders are also encouraged, as long as these include connections to fundamental problems in the biology of aging.
Projects that deal strictly with clinical problems, such as the diagnosis and treatment of disease, health outcomes, or the social context of aging, are not eligible. Examples of promising areas of research include the following:
- Aging and immune function
- Genetic control of longevity
- Neurobiology and neuropathology of aging
- Invertebrate or vertebrate animal models
- Cardiovascular aging
- Aging and cellular stress resistance
- Metabolic and endocrine changes
- Age-related changes in cell proliferation
- Caloric restriction and aging
- DNA repair and control of gene expression
- Biology of the menopause
- Aging and apoptosis
- Biodemographic analysis of aging
- Comparative gerontology
- Evolutionary biological aspects of the biology of aging
It is anticipated that approximately 15 grants of up to $75,000 each will be awarded in 2010. For additional information about this program, see http://www.afar.org/afar99.html or contact AFAR (grants@afar.org).
DEADLINE: Dec. 15
IREX is now accepting applications for the 2010-11 Individual Advanced Research Opportunities Program (IARO). The IARO provides students, scholars, and professionals with support to perform policy-relevant field research in Eastern Europe and Eurasia. In addition to engaging in research in the region, IARO fellowships afford scholars the opportunity to increase their understanding of critical policy-relevant issues, develop and sustain international networks, and collaborate with foreign scholars on topics vital to both the academic and policy-making communities. IARO is funded by the United States Department of State Title VIII Program.
Master's students, predoctoral students, postdoctoral students, and professionals with advanced degrees are eligible for the IARO Fellowship. Fellowships cover the cost of international airfare, a living/housing stipend, visa support, travel insurance, and access to the resources available at any of IREX's 25 area field offices.
The countries eligible for research are Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
Applications and all supporting documents for IARO Fellowship will only be accepted through the online application system found at www.irex.org/programs/us_scholars/uss_info.asp.
For additional information, see www.irex.org/programs/us_scholars/uss_info.asp or contact the IARO staff (iaro@irex.org, 202-628-8188) or contact Thomas Saville with SIUC's Study Abroad Programs (618-453-7670, tsaville@siu.edu).
DEADLINE: Nov. 17
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) is committed to eradicating childhood cancer through basic research, career development, and helping to streamline translational clinical research. ALSF works directly with doctors and researchers to identify the specific challenges faced in bringing new treatments to children with cancer. Grants distributed from the foundation are designed to fill critical gaps in funding identified by doctors and researchers.
Innovation Grants: These grants are designed to provide critical and significant seed funding designed for experienced investigators with a novel and promising approach to finding causes and cures for childhood cancers.
For Innovation Awards, applicants should be at the late assistant, associate, or full professor level. The applicant may be an M.D., M.D./Ph.D. or Ph.D. Critical to these applications is innovation with potential for major scientific advancement. Preliminary data are not required, but the application must demonstrate feasibility. A maximum of $100,000 in direct costs will be awarded to applicants annually. A maximum of two years of funding may be requested. Continued support for a second year of funding is contingent upon a noncompetitive review and demonstration of satisfactory completion of proposed research objectives and appropriate budget expenditures.
Young Investigator Grants: These grants are designed to fill the critical need for start-up funds for new researchers and physicians to pursue promising research ideas; they encourage and cultivate the researchers of the future and lead to long-term commitments to research projects.
For Young Investigator Awards, applicants should be at the early stages of their research careers as defined. M.D. or M.D./Ph.D. applicants must either be in an accredited fellowship program or be within six years from the completion of a three-year fellowship program at the time the funding will start. Ph.D. applicants must be within six years from the granting of the Ph.D. at the time the funding will start, i.e., Ph.D.'s received in 2003 are eligible for the 2009 grant process. The applicant must not currently hold an independent NIH grant (R01, R21, R33, or P01). A research mentor must be identified and the application must document his/her involvement in experimental design and execution.
A maximum of $40,000 in direct costs will be awarded to applicants annually. A maximum of two years of funding may be requested. Continued support for a second year of funding is contingent upon a noncompetitive review and demonstration of satisfactory completion of proposed research objectives and appropriate budget expenditures.
For additional information about these programs, see www.alexslemonade.org/grants/medical or contact the ALSF (grants@alexslemonade.org).
DEADLINE: Dec. 15
This National Institutes of Health program is intended to provide support (R03) for either new investigators in cancer-related behavioral research, or investigators who want to refocus their research interests toward behavioral research in cancer control. The program is designed to facilitate the growth of a nationwide cohort of scientists with research experience in behavioral cancer control and design of public health interventions. Preliminary data for the proposed projects are not required. Overarching goals are to: (1) encourage new investigators to enter the field of behavioral research in cancer control and initiate their long-term career development aimed at becoming independent investigators in the field, and (2) support research on transfer of behavioral science knowledge into cancer control practice.
For additional information about this program, see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-09-003.html or contact Veronica Chollette (301-435-2837, vc24a@nih.gov) or Susan Marden (301-496-9623, mardens@mail.nih.gov).
DEADLINE: Dec. 21
The National Headache Foundation (NHF) supports research in the field of headache and pain as a part of its mission, which also includes offering education and information to headache sufferers. The NHF is interested in research protocols that are objectively sound and whose results can, when published in the medical literature, contribute to the better understanding and treatment of headache and pain. Grants may be used for the purchasing of supplies needed for the study (chemical or pharmacological reagents, laboratory animals, tissue culture materials, forms, etc.) and for costs related to the recruiting of patients, data analysis, and interpreting or reading results.
For additional information about this program, see www.headaches.org/For_Professionals or contact Carolyn Smith (info@headaches.org).
DEADLINE: Dec. 1
Note: Grant listings going back to FY2003 are available via this website's Reports and Publications section.
Reprinted from Harpers Magazine by permission of the artist.
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